Been out fishing several times since the last report and finding quite a bit of action on panfish and walleye here in the Tomahawk area. Fishing below dams and on flowages and finding aggressive feeding gills, perch and walleye. We've been using a simple Mini Mite and sinker tipped with a chunk of crawler dragged along the bottom. Caught fish from rocky shorelines, in the wood and in the channels. Found walleyes mixed in with panfish in these areas as well as up in shallow water. Haven't tried minnows yet but would expect them to also work well for walleyes, crappies and perch. The action has been so good it actually has been cutting into my musky fishing time. Hard to pass up the walleye action when the girlfriend is bringing them in off the other side of the boat one after the other. Hearing water temps in the upper 50s to low 60s right now. Daytime temps forecasted to rise into the 70s for the rest of the week. Haven't seen the walleye and panfish bite change much despite the almost constantly changing weather. The bite has just stayed strong. While not fall conditions, hopefully the stable weather forecasted for the next several days will turn on the muskies. The fall colors have really been popping up here in the Tomahawk area over the past several days. Hard to beat a day out on the water this time of year. Good luck to everyone heading out this week and weekend. Have fun, remember to watch for duck hunters, and enjoy your Northwoods water time.

Will be out over this weekend trying to track down a beefy musky in the Tomahawk area. Been hearing about ice forming on some of the back bays already. Water temperatures being reported are in the upper 40s. Forecasting wind to pick up today and into Saturday, which will see an air temp high of 40 degrees. Sunday looks to be the best day with air temps forecasted to reach 45. Not much fishing going on since the big cold moved in heading into last weekend. Like everyone else, I've been busy trying to wrap up fall projects like yard work, getting the basement filled with wood pellets and trying to complete work on the new ice shack. Plan to work deep and slow with bull dawgs and depth raiders around trestles and by areas where the muskies would have been when the water was warmer. Will also be soaking a sucker to see if it produces any action. I highly recommend using silicon doctor gloves to anyone else heading out this weekend. They really work well to keep the hands warm and dry. I even use them ice fishing a lot of times. Should be plenty to do this weekend with the leaves down and the archery season in full gear. May just have to put off mowing the lawn one more week to take advantage of the nice weather forecasted for Sunday. Good luck to everyone heading out this weekend. Be safe and enjoy your Northwoods water and woods time.

Thoughts are quickly turning to the upcoming ice fishing season after a couple days of highs in the 20s and lows dipping into the single digits here in the Tomahawk area. Checked the Bradley Park boat landing this afternoon and measured around a good one inch of ice. Not enough to venture out on, especially with the warmer weather forecasted heading into this weekend, but it won't be long now and we should have safe ice. Wouldn't be surprised if some of the smaller Tomahawk area lakes had more ice, and maybe even a few brave souls have tested it out, but I certainly would recommend waiting. Temps are forecasted to rise into the mid 40s heading into this weekend, so perhaps one last shot at a pig musky before putting the boat away for the season Sunday. Just wanted to remind everyone I will once again be providing first-ice updates once conditions are more favorable, which depending on if any ice survives the rain and warm temps this weekend, could be as early as next week. Even with the cold fall we have seen, it still is hard to believe the ice fishing season is once again upon us. Heard earlier today the Farmer's Almanac is predicting this winter will be long and one of the coldest on record. From the way things have started, it certainly appears that could be the case. Good idea to get out and enjoy what will likely be the last mild weekend we see around here for some time to come. Finishing up the final touches on my permanent ice shack this weekend, so I say let it come. Had a nice buck chasing a doe cross right in front of my truck the other day, so good luck to all the bow hunters during the rut. Hope everybody has a safe and fun weekend. Enjoy your Northwoods woods and water time.

Heard earlier today the Farmer's Almanac is predicting this winter will be long and one of the coldest on record. From the way things have started, it certainly appears that could be the case.

Now how does that fit in with global warming.

The National Institutes of Health has just released the results of a $200 million research study completed under a grant to Johns Hopkins.The new study has found that women who carry a little extra weight live longer than the men who mention it.

Picked up close to 5 inches of snow out by the house near Spirit Falls last night. Tomahawk saw a little less, but with another inch or so expected for this evening, there should be plenty of tracking snow for hunters heading into the opener this weekend. Will be cold and making good ice starting Saturday with highs forecasted in the teens and lows expected to drop in the single digits. Flowages are in real good shape heading into freeze up. Even the Spirit, which was down about five feet while work on the dam took place, appears to be only a couple feet down at this point. If not by this weekend, we should be in good shape heading into Thanksgiving as far as first ice is concerned. Will be providing first ice updates come next week. Planning to try some new shoreline structure that looks to hold some good promise. Time to get the line changed on the tip ups. Just a reminder, the 48th Annual Venison Feed will be held in downtown Tomahawk tomorrow (Friday) starting at 11:30 a.m. Hosted by the Tomahawk Regional Chamber of Commerce, the event includes free venison burgers for everyone attending until gone. Great way to kick off the start of the nine-day gun deer season. Good luck to all hunters. Be safe, dress warm and enjoy your Northwoods hunting time.

While it might not have made for the best opener of the gun deer season, the recent stretch of frigid weather did help build the ice base on area lakes over the past few days. Got out for the first time this season Sunday evening and found between three and four inches of ice on the Spirit Flowage. The immediate shoreline where I was fishing was still a little iffy, but the rest of the ice was in real good shape. Tried another spot last night on the Spirit and again had about three to four inches. Highs this week are scheduled to stay in the freezing range so the ice should still be good heading into this weekend. You will need the kreepers on the boots as the ice will remain slippery until we get a good coating of snow. Remember to chip your way out with the spud, have a safety device in case you do bust through and fish with someone else when possible. Safety should always be the top concern when fishing first ice as ice depths can change due to water current and the direction of wind when the lake froze. The early ice walleye bite is on. Caught and missed a few myself and a buddy was catching fish on a stretch of the Wisconsin River. Weed edges, shoreline rocks and stumps are all good places to try using tip ups during early ice. Fatheads and shiners work good on the flowages while some lakes might prefer suckers. Might even go after some panfish on Thanksgiving as there should be enough ice to get to some of the good spots. Good luck to everyone heading out into the woods for the remainder of the hunt this week and weekend. Hopefully that wind that made the opener so horrible has blown itself out. Please keep the family and friends of Jay Leggett in your prayers. He went out of his way to tell the story and give a voice to the hunter and the tradition of the hunt with his documentary film, To the Hunt. Let his untimely passing at the family hunting shack Saturday serve as a reminder to all of us to enjoy the important things in life. Good luck to everyone heading out this week and weekend. Be safe, have fun and enjoy your Northwoods water and woods time.

Had about six inches of ice in the bay I was fishing on the Spirit Reservoir last evening. Spoke with a guy who was fishing the channel and he had about five inches. Ice thickness will very from lake to lake and even area to area so make sure to continue to use caution. Walleyes are the target now, but the warmer weather forecasted for this weekend will provide a great opportunity to get out and try for some panfish. Looks like things are setting up for a good, long winter of ice fishing. Little snow on the ice now but still a bit slippery. Not a bad idea to keep the Kreepers on until walking conditions improve. Good luck to everyone heading out this weekend. Have fun and enjoy your Northwoods ice and woods time.

The Tomahawk area picked up an additional four to five inches of snow last night. The forecast shows a bigger dumping on the way over the next two days. Keep in mind this will create additional current on local flowages and could change ice conditions. The recent warming trend has opened back up the channel on Lake Mohawksin, and an ice shack went through off CTH Y on Lake Nokomis. Make sure to continue to use caution in areas where ice conditions could change. A blast of cold air is forecasted for this coming weekend that will hopefully make up for any ice lost as a result of the warmer temps and additional precipitation. As far as fishing, hearing reports of great walleye and panfish bites on Tomahawk area waters. We targeted crappies Saturday evening and ran into an exceptional walleye bite. Ended up with one good 19-inch eater, a couple shorts that were put back and a couple other bigger ones the tip downs couldn't hold. We were fishing in 10 to 15 feet of water on the channel edge. Sunday morning produced some pretty good panfish action in 10 to 12 feet of water. We found crappie up to 14 inches, 10-inch gills and some big perch using tip ups spread out and bouncing from hole to hole jigging with waxies. Things slowed Sunday afternoon as the barometer climbed. There was a pretty even six inches of ice where we were fishing. I've heard of anywhere between three to seven inches of ice in other areas. Hopefully following this cold snap things will really start to firm up again, if we don't see any rain, and we can start looking at tacking the ATVs and snowmobiles out. Good luck to everyone heading out this week and weekend. Fish safe and enjoy your Northwoods ice time.

Well, I guess the good thing is you shouldn't need to worry about the Kreepers anymore. Picked up several inches of snow here in the Tomahawk area over the past several days. About eight inches on the ground now where I live west of town. Yesterday saw mostly rain, so not quite sure what the ice will look like this weekend as far as slush is concerned. With daytime highs struggling to reach the double digits and lows dropping well below zero several nights in the upcoming seven day forecast, I don't think we will have to worry much longer about ice thickness or slush. However, a second ice shanty did bust through yesterday on Lake Nokomis. This morning the Wisconsin River channel on Lake Mohawksin already looked to be freezing back up. Still hearing good reports of walleye and jumbo perch bites. Looks like a cold weekend is in the works with highs of 5 degrees and 12 and lows well below zero. Remember to continue to use caution when venturing out until things freeze back up hard again. Be safe, have fun and enjoy your Northwoods ice time.

What a difference a year can make. Last year we weren't consistently getting out on the ice until mid December. This year I'm planning to pull the shack out using the truck on Saturday. Not much to report on the Tomahawk area bite as it has been too cold for this angler and many of the others I have talked with to venture out over the past week. Did check the ice on the Spirit on Saturday afternoon and found a solid eight inches. Also heard reports of vehicles driving on Lake Alice off Horseshoe and the Anglers Lane boat landings already. Tomorrow's high temp is not forecasted to get above zero and lows tonight and tomorrow are expected to get down around -20. Teens forecasted for this weekend will be the warmest weather we have seen here in Tomahawk for sometime. Will still need to be cautious when driving vehicles out as water current and other conditions can cause ice depths to fluctuate. Big winds yesterday might have also created some drifting that could be a problem to keep in mind. This will be by far the earliest I have ever driven out with the vehicle. Amazing how quickly winter has arrived this year. Should provide a good long season to narrow in on some patterns. Hoping to pick back up on a good walleye bite and some decent panfish action we were experiencing prior to this arctic freeze setting in. That includes targeting weeds and stumps fields during the day for panfish and tip ups set for walleyes in the same spots during the evening. Good luck to everyone heading out this week and weekend. Be safe, stay warm and enjoy your Northwoods ice time. On a side note, I would strongly recommend not driving your vehicle out on the ice if you are unfamiliar with the area or are unsure of current ice conditions. It is going to be a long season.

Saw on the news last night this would be the sixth coldest December on record for the Northwoods if the month were to end today. The good news about that statement is we now have plenty of ice to venture out on and a slight warm up is on its way. Even before dropping to -24 in Tomahawk the other night, we were looking at a good 12 inches of ice on area flowages. Permanent shacks are going out. Pulled mine out with the truck Saturday. Been hearing of a pretty good panfish bite going on in the stumps and weedy areas. We set the shack off a steep point that drops quickly into the channel to target a hot walleye bite that continues on Tomahawk flowages. Running tip ups from 5 feet down to 16 feet and finding active fish throughout the day. Using tip ups rigged with shiners and chubs set about a foot off bottom has been productive. Catching shorts but some nice 18 to 20 inch fish mixed in. Managed to get out for a little while yesterday between the snow squalls, which combined dumped about four inches of fluffy snow, and the girlfriend iced four walleyes with a 19 incher being the largest. The extended forecast shows a warm up this week and a return to more seasonal temps for the rest of the month. Last I heard the Lincoln County snowmobile trails will remain closed until some easements are finalized. The county snowmobile council was hoping for this weekend. According to the calendar the first day of winter is this Saturday. Have to smile as we already have a foot of ice and around that much snow on the ground. One last weekend before the holiday festivities begin. Good luck to everyone heading out. Have fun and enjoy your Northwoods ice time.

Continuing to see a strong walleye bite here in the Tomahawk area. Some nice 16" to 20" fish mixed in with a bunch of shorties caught Saturday evening and Sunday morning. Setting tip ups along channel edge in 5' to 8' and picking up fish all day long. Catching a few fish on tip ups set in the 16' channel depths during the day. Shiners and chubs about a foot off bottom working best for us at this point. Kept a few 16" fish for the frying pan and the big spawners get put back for seed. Tried for some panfish Sunday afternoon but were unable to locate them. Not sure if it is all the additional water this year or what, but a lot of anglers I have spoken with on the Spirit have said catch numbers have been way down. The panfish we were catching earlier this season seemed pretty well spread out and involved a lot of hole hoping to catch. Could be the fish are spread out more because of all the water or maybe they are way up in the shallows. Will target some other areas for panfish later this winter after the walleye bite has slowed some. Snow is starting to pile up on the ice that could make for difficult truck travel if the white stuff continues to fall. Hoping to get out a few times over the upcoming holiday week and will report back on the bite. Good luck to everyone heading out. Be safe, have fun and enjoy your Northwoods ice time. Wishing everyone a very joyous and happy Christmas and holiday season. Going to be a busy week on the snowmobile trails. Should be plenty of white stuff to make for some great riding.

You know it has been cold when 5 degree high temps feel like a heat wave. Much like last weekend, this coming Saturday should provide the one decent day of the week to get out on the ice as highs are expected to top out around 20 degrees. A very brutal arctic blast is set to move in Sunday with lows in the -30 degree range and highs forecasted to top out around -20 here in the Tomahawk area. Thinking this might be the year to break down and buy an extension for the auger. Spent some time on the ice this past Saturday on a Tomahawk area flowage and managed to catch a few walleyes and crappies. Unlike previous outings this winter, when walleyes were caught while they cruised shallower water around a point jetting out into the channel, this time the majority of fish were caught in the deeper 12 to 16 feet depths. We did manage one 15 inch fish on a tip up set on the drop off in 6 feet of water right before dark, but it was the only flag that line produced all day. The deeper tip ups produced much more action. A tip down set deep for crappies also produced an 18 inch walleye. About that time of year I like to start switching over to large fatheads to catch walleyes as they become finicky. Will start to mix them in with shiners to see witch one produces more. Added bonus of this is you can usually ice some nice bonus jumbo perch if they are in the area. Hoping with the warmer weather Saturday to target some panfish. The good news is the extended forecast shows temps getting back to seasonal following this big arctic chill. Wishing everyone a safe and happy New Year. Have fun and enjoy your Northwoods ice time.

Not much to report on the fishing bite here in the Tomahawk area as of late as anglers wait out this brutal arctic front that continues to impact the state. Saw on a local news station this morning the Tomahawk area was the coldest place in the United States. I had -31 degrees at the house and a woman I work with had -34 degrees when she left to start the day. Burrr. Good news is a warm front is forecasted to begin pushing in Friday and highs this weekend could reach 30 degrees, which I'm sure will feel like a heat wave after what we have been through as of late. Did manage to get out for a few hours this past Saturday morning and had some success fishing walleyes. The fish actually seemed to prefer the larger shiners we had set up in the channel (15 feet) over the smaller shiners and large fatheads. We did catch some nice gills jigging in the shack for the first time this year. All we had been catching prior was walleyes of various sizes and a few crappies scattered in. Looks like weather wise we will have a good weekend to get out and try some new spots for panfish. Truck travel was pretty decent where we were fishing Saturday, although I heard on the Willow things might be getting a bit rough due to the snow and ruts created by the slush that was out there. The first ice fishing tourneys of the season are taking place in the Tomahawk area this weekend. Nokomis will host the 6th annual AMVETS Post 724 ice fishing contest Saturday, Jan. 11, at the Hwy. N boat landing. For more info, contact 715-493-3176 or go to www.amvetspost724.org/events. The Willow will also host a tourney Saturday as the Willow Have Fish Derby runs from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Some $3,000 in door prizes to be awarded. Call Gary for more information at 715-453-3678. Also mark your calendars for the 3rd annual Tomahawk Fishing Unlimited Family Fishing Contest to be held at Road Lake Pub and Grill on Hwy. S will take place Saturday, Jan. 25. Fish anywhere and register fish at Road Lake later in the day for a chance to win cash. Newest power augers and electronics also to be registered off. Well it looks like we will finally have an entire weekend of nice weather to get out and enjoy come Friday. Expect to see plenty of activity on the ice as a lot of cooped up people will be looking to get out and enjoy. Remember to be respectful of others and only act as you would prefer to be treated. Good luck, don't forget to pack the snow shovel, and enjoy your Northwoods ice time.

Mother Nature can put a quick end to even the best laid plans, as was the case for our group over this past weekend. Started out with a slow walleye bite at the shack on the Spirit Saturday morning. After several hours soaking shiners, we ended up with two shorts that were put back. Tried Shantytown on Alice Saturday evening and caught mostly small crappies using tip downs. Did catch a few 10 inch crappies and some bluegills while jigging. Was shocked by the number of shacks out there this year. Plan was to take advantage of some beaten down snow paths Sunday from tournaments that had taken place on the Willow and Nokomis the day prior. I had heard the road on the Willow wasn't too bad until you got up past Four Islands and into Indian Bay. We made it to where the slush began heading up to Four Islands before digging out a turn around area and heading back to shore. Never even got a line wet on the Willow. We next went to Nokomis where a tourney had taken place the day prior and what a mess. We didn't want to drive around too much as there was quite a bit of slush surrounding the ice road off CTH N. Ended up catching some small perch before calling it a day. At least the dog found a new toy, a piece of broken tow strap that had been left behind. Kinda said it all about the conditions we found. The Tomahawk area did pick up between 3 to 5 inches of additional snow Friday evening. Snowmobile clubs were reporting conditions in very good condition and an 18" snow base in the area. Overall, it was a disappointing weekend for us as travel conditions limited what we had set out to do. Make sure to have the shovel and some kitty liter wouldn't be a bad idea if planning to get off the beaten path anytime in the near future. I was really surprised to see slush after the several recent nights of -25 to -30 degrees below zero. Along with a lack of consistent walleye bite, which had been the case most the winter so far, travel conditions will need to be watched going forward. Hopefully the eyes will turn back on and some more activity on the ice will improve mobility. Good luck and be safe to everyone heading out over the coming week. Have fun and enjoy your Northwoods ice time.

Expect truck travel on Tomahawk area lakes and flowages to be difficult this weekend as the area picked up around a foot and a half of additional snow over the past week. Heard a report of a group of guys who got their vehicles stuck out on the Willow Flowage four days ago and still haven't been able to get them out. Also expect slush on some bodies of water as the snow continues to pile up and create even more problems on the ice. A group of friends was out by the shack Thursday and managed a couple keeper crappie and five walleye including three legals. More snow removal to do tonight before getting out this weekend to look for a few panfish if truck travel is still possible. What a winter it has been with the winter vortex and loads of snow. Also a reminder Tomahawk Fishing Unlimited will be hosting its 3rd annual Family Fishing Contest next Saturday on Road Lake Pub, located off CTH S. Power auger, flashers and many door prizes to be raffled off. Gun and cash raffle tickets also will be available. Tourney is 100 percent payout for two age groups. Everyone is invited to stop out and have a good time. Hope to see you there. Remember to pack the shovel and some kitty litter wouldn't be a bad idea if heading out this weekend. Be safe, have fun and enjoy your Nortwoods ice time.

Those planning to take part in the Tomahawk Fishing Unlimited Family Fishing Contest this Saturday will want to dress appropriately and be prepared. Sounds like the better weather will be earlier in the day before temps drop once again heading into Saturday evening and Sunday. Might be a good idea to be out when the tourney begins at 6 a.m. Fish registration at Road Lake Pub on County Highway S runs Saturday from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Will want to stop out even if you don't have a fish to register, as a number of door prizes will be given out to those registered in the tourney and raffles open to everyone will be held for other items like a new, light-weight power auger and a pair of flashers. Food and refreshments will be available starting at noon. One-hundred percent of proceeds from fishing derby registration will go toward cash prizes for biggest fish in five categories for two age groups. Free grab bags will be provided for youngsters. Everyone is invited to stop out and take part in the good times. As far as recent fishing outings, we were out Sunday to jack up the ice shack as a good bit of slush has formed around it. Ended up helping a father and son get their truck unstuck as it was buried in the heavy snow. Put out a couple tip ups and managed a few small walleyes and missed a couple other flags while out during the lunar major from around noon to 3 p.m. Fish were caught deep using large shiners. Panfish bite remains slow where our shack is and travel conditions making it almost impossible to go searching for them. Cold weather not helping get rid of the slush. We need some warmer weather to condense the snow and then firm things back up. Make sure to pack shovel and some sand and don't venture too far from plowed roads if heading out with the truck this weekend. Just a reminder the Lake Alice Winter in Wonderland Ice Contest is next Saturday, Feb. 1. Those wanting to take place in this Saturday's Fishing Unlimited Family Fishing Contest can register through the morning of the event at Chuck's Sport Shop, Aquatic Arts, Viegut's, Road Lake and Tomahawk BP. Good luck to all those heading out this weekend. Be safe, have fun and enjoy your Northwoods ice time.

The good news is the slush that had enveloped the ice shack froze up over the past week. The bad news is temperatures have greatly reduced the amount of time on the ice as of late. Managed to get out for a few hours Sunday evening between arctic blasts and came across a few active panfish and walleye. Would have been nice to fish a little harder but blowing winds and cold limited options. There is still a lot of snow on lakes and drifting could become the next problem limiting mobility off the main plowed roads. Thank you to everyone who braved the cold and wind Saturday to take part in the Tomahawk Fishing Unlimited Family Fishing Contest. Nearly 200 people registered for the contest, and funds raised will go toward supporting the club's summer Kid's Fishing Contest. Should be some nicer weather for the annual Lake Alice Winter in Wonderland fishing contest this Saturday, Feb. 1. Highs are forecasted to be above zero, which will be a real treat considering what this winter has brought us so far. The contest gets underway at 7 a.m. and is held between the boat landings on Anglers Lane and Horeshoe Road off County Highway A. Food and refreshments available as well as plenty of raffle prizes. Remember to think safety first and pack a shovel and sand if planning to get off the beaten path this weekend. Good luck and enjoy your Northwoods ice time.

Just wanted to pass along to anyone who may be heating a cabin, or summer home, this winter in the Tomahawk area that city officials have called for an emergency meeting tomorrow morning to discuss issues being created by the deepening frost in the ground. Just like a number of other Northwoods communities are dealing with at this time, the city has been working to reconnect water to several homes after the laterals have frozen up. Rhinelander is recommending all homeowners leave their faucets running at a trickle, and Tomahawk will be recommending people in parts of the city do the same as the frost is much deeper than it would typically be this time of year as a result of the continued cold. Those heating cabins might want to consider having someone check on their residence daily to assure pipes are not freezing up. I've heard frost in areas where the ground is undisturbed is about two feet deep. The frost is already about five to six feet deep in areas being plowed. Typically that is where the frost level might reach at the end of the freezing season in early April, which is still a good two months away. As far as a fishing, we were able to get out over the weekend and saw the best action Saturday. Tip ups produced some walleyes and also had some action on the rattle reels in the shack. Sunday brought bluebird skies with a rising barometer and dropping temperatures. Not surprisingly, managed just one pike after about three hours on the ice. The area picked up another five inches of snow over the past week and slush remains a problem in some areas. The snow piles along plowed roads on the ice area really starting to grow to the point getting off them with anything other than a snowmobile would be a bad idea. Hoping to get out to the shack for a little while this evening before the next round of cold air moves into the area tomorrow. Could really notice ice depths starting to build over this past weekend to the point power auger extensions might be required at some point yet this winter. What a dandy it is shaping up to be. Be safe and good luck to everyone heading out this week and weekend. Have fun and enjoy your Northwoods ice time.

The panfish bite has picked up some on the Tomahawk area flowage we fished over the past week. Saturday produced some nice gills using tiny Tungston jigs tipped with waxies. You actually had to be careful fighting the big fish as they would straighten the hook if you were not careful. We lost more than a few in the hole as a result of this. Also iced some nice crappies on tip downs using rosy reds . Crappies were located in about 10 feet of water with the gills closer to the bottom. They have been dropping the flowages in Tomahawk, and where the shack sits now, we have about 14 feet of water compared to the 15 feet we had earlier this winter. Sunday was slower with some bluegill action and no crappies. Walleye action has slowed down for this angler, although a buddy landed a 24" and lost another he suspected was around 30" Thursday. The fish were actually hooked jigging for panfish. Temps are forecasted to warm a bit heading into this coming weekend, which should only help improve the bite. Travel continues to be the main problem as mobility is mostly limited to snowmobiles and places where roads have been plowed. Would be nice to track down some nice crappies and perch but will have to wait until hopefully later this winter before that happens. Our best action was seen right in the middle of the day from about 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. We have the area pretty well packed down around the shack, but in places that have not been disturbed, I'm hearing there is heavy snow on top of a layer of slush. If the extended forecast holds true, with highs reaching the mid 30s by next week, perhaps travel conditions will improve as the snow melts down and things freeze back up. The power auger handlebars were touching the ice in places we have the snow packed down. We might be needing the auger extensions if we want to keep fishing right outside the shack. It certainly was exciting to see some active panfish. Hopefully things will only improve now as winter continues. Hard to believe, but only a few weekends remain until the walleye season shuts down for the winter. Then it won't be long and we'll be busting out the boats out for the start of the spring run. Still some great panfish action to be had yet this winter before open water returns. Hopefully this past week was a sign of things to come. Good luck to everyone heading out this week and weekend. Be safe, have fun and enjoy your Northwoods ice time.

Snow is once again coming down here in the Tomahawk area with 3 to 6 inches forecasted for this Monday. Managed to get out a few times over the past week and found the crappie bite remains pretty good in the places we were able to fish. Fished Mohawksin mid-week and found crappies in 15 feet of water. The fish we caught were suspended at 10 feet, but another fisherman we talked with said he was catching fish about five feet below the ice. Tried jigging plastics, but the majority of our action came using tip downs and rosy reds and crappie minnows. The fish bit from early in the day right through the evening. Sunday ended up being a repeat of what many have been like as of late with high pressure and bluebird skies overhead, which resulted in little action from the crappie and gills for us. Would have been a great day for pike if we had been targeting them in the shallower weedy bays. Ended up catching a few crappies with some others missed on the jig poles and rattle reels in the shack. With the new snow and what fell last week we are looking at about a foot if not more of new snow on the ice. A lot of permanent shacks have been removed and places like the Willow Flowage are limited to snowmobile access only. We have been keeping the road open to the shack, but other than that, access is very limited in places that haven't been plowed. At least they are calling for a few days with highs in 30s this week before a cool down returns heading into the weekend. Couple upcoming events to keep on the radar, including the Somo Fish and Game Club annual Ice Fishing Jamboree this Saturday on Somo Lake west of Tomahawk. Always a good time and I'm sure they will have plenty of plowed roads to get around on. Early registration begins at 8 a.m. at the boat landing located between Tomahawk Lodge and Somo View Resort about 8 miles west of Tomahawk on CTH CC. The contest runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Then next weekend on Saturday, March 1, Team Slayer will be holding its 12th annual Ice Fishing Contest at the Pine Tree Supper Club in downtown Tomahawk. Contestants can fish any body of water they want from 5 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. with fish registration at Pine Tree from 6 p.m to 7 p.m. Will once again be plenty of great raffles and 100 percent pay out with proceeds going to support Kippenberg Creek Kids. Those who would like to take part must register at the Pine Tree by Friday, Feb. 28. Good luck to everyone heading out this week and weekend. Have fun and enjoy your Northwoods ice time.

Just a heads up for anyone planning to attend the annual Somo Fish and Game Club Ice Fishing Jamboree on Somo Lake tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 22, the contest has been cancelled due to the weather. Just goes to show what kind of winter it has been, as I can't remember them ever having to cancel a jamboree in the past. I haven't heard details yet on how much snow we picked up, but safe to say it's a real mess out there with all the blowing and drifting going on right now. Like almost everybody else, we pulled our shack Wednesday in preparation of the big storm. Will have to take stock of plowed roads once blowing and drifting comes to an end Saturday or Sunday. Remember the 12th annual Team Slayer Ice Fishing Contest is being held at Pine Tree Supper Club in downtown Tomahawk next Saturday, March 1. Fish any lake in the state from 5 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and register fish at the Pine Tree from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tickets ($5 apiece) must be purchased in advance at the Pine Tree by Friday, Feb. 28. Would only advise snowmobile travel at this time, although I hear that is also even getting dicy with areas of slush in places off the snowmobile trails. Good luck and enjoy your Northwoods ice time.

With all the recent cold and access problems due to the heavy snow and slush on the ice there hasn't been a lot to report on as far as fishing in the Tomahawk area is concerned as of late. The Team Slayer Ice Fishing Contest was held at the Pine Tree Supper Club this past Saturday to raise money for Kippenberg Creek Kids and a number of decent pike and perch were registered. Fish were caught in weed and stump areas. No crappies, walleyes or bluegills to speak of were entered into the contest, which wasn't a surprise considering the limited access on area flowages and lakes. Was fortunate to get my permanent shack off before all the snow and drifting that occurred a few weeks ago. They are currently using Tucker Sno-cats to get shacks off before the March 16 deadline. Shack owners experiencing removal problems are asked to contact the DNR at 1-800-TIP-WDNR (1-800-847-9367). I also came across a contact number online of a Tucker Sno-Cat owner who is offering to remove shacks at a cost. He can be reached at 262-689-2630. Hopefully the warming weather will help improve conditions allowing access once again on area waters as the best panfish action of the season is still coming up. Hoping to try a few spots with foot access until then. What a winter it has been. We set a record for the coldest ever on record and I'm hearing forecasters are predicting record snowfall totals might be reached yet this winter. At least the weather finally seems to be warming some. Good luck to anyone heading out this week and weekend. Be prepared for getting stuck if you do venture out, even if by snowmobile, and enjoy your Northwoods ice time.

After a couple week hiatus due to the continued cold and slush and snow on Tomahawk area lakes, we finally got the opportunity to get out over this past weekend. Travel was limited to foot, but getting around wasn't too bad as the snow was pretty well packed down on the trail we walked. Crappie action was slow for us Sunday. After seeing numerous fish come up on the electronics and then back off without hitting our crappie minnows, I switched to plastics and did find a bit more success. The extra action I could put on the plastic seemed to help trigger the hits that produced some nice 10 inch crappies. Not a lot of action, but it sure was nice getting back out after such a long time away. Snow is really melting right now here in Tomahawk as the temperature is 53 degrees. Hoping to start getting out regularly again and will continue to update on travel conditions as well as the bite. Snowmobilers should keep in mind channels on Mohawksin near the Fourth Street Bridge, Hwy 86 Bridge and train trestle next to SARA Park will become dangerous to travel as the runoff deteriorates ice in those areas quickly. Ice depths in areas without a lot of current are still up to the power auger handlebars. Good luck to everyone heading out this week and upcoming weekend. Be safe, have fun and enjoy your Northwoods ice time.

The Tomahawk area picked up around three to four inches of snow last night heading into the final weekend of the snowmobile season. Some warmer weather finally this weekend should bring a few more anglers out on the ice. I have heard anglers using snowmobiles have been getting around on some bodies of water, but I would still use caution and take a shovel as the multiple layers of frozen snow and slush will continue to make travel difficult. Like the joy we experienced on a small lake last spring, when we were able to walk way out to a fishing spot early in the morning only to see it warm up and make the walk back a nightmare, as we broke through into knee-deep slush about every other step. Stick to old snowmobile and other trails if possible as these packed down areas should provide the best access. While my ice fishing has been limited as of late due to the cold and tough travel conditions, a retired buddy has continued to find a pretty decent crappie bite using tip downs and crappie minnows suspended about 12 feet down in 17 feet of water on the Wisconsin River system. They have really begun dropping area flowages in preparation of the spring thaw so look for fish in the channels. Still holding out hope travel conditions will improve as the gradually warming weather continues to melt away all the stuff on the ice. The May 3 season opener is still over a month away so anything can happen, but it might start to get interesting as there still is some 30 inches of ice out there. Hopefully this weekend will mark the start of a more spring like pattern in the temps. Good luck to everyone heading out this weekend. Have fun and enjoy your Northwoods ice time.